


Ace of Hearts

by night9uake



Series: Ace!Nicky [1]
Category: The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Ace!Nicky, Asexuality, But not that much, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Declarations Of Love, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Canon, flowery writing, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:02:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25898650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/night9uake/pseuds/night9uake
Summary: Nicky tells Joe about one of his fears, of what he feels regarding himself under a candlelit night.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: Ace!Nicky [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900276
Comments: 26
Kudos: 173





	Ace of Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> To all my asexuals!
> 
> I saw this potential in the van scene (and the whole film) that there is actually nothing that goes against one of them being ace, since their love is this power in their life, that can’t even be described with a single word. And as a fellow asexual I saw an opportunity to write this (slightly angsty) fanfic of Joe declaring his love has nothing to do with what he can and can’t do with Nicky. 
> 
> Also I have read book one: Opening Fire, I know they cut some part out of Joe’s speech.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> TW: anxiety and vague description of a panic attack.

A heavy breath escaped his lips, Nicky could feel how his entire body was trembling. How every fibre of his whole being was on treading on the sharp end of a knife. Though it wasn’t by the man’s touch, but the thought of following through with the _act_ , into the _next step_. The fair haired man pulled his legs closer, as to try and shelter himself from the world outside, to feel _comfort_ and _protection_. His breathing was uneven, inhaling and exhaling like he didn’t dare to breath.

The candlelight flickered in the room, casting and creating shadows on the floor. Making them dance across the room, and on the men sitting in the bed. Caressing their skin with the warm, ethereal glow. The faint light reflected in the tears that started to from inside of the Italian man’s eyes, they didn’t caress his cheek with their shine. They only stayed on the waterline of his eyes, alike the first drop of rain to fall on a flower petal in the early morning.

“Something’s _wrong_ with me...” A vague whisper left Nicky’s lips, he didn’t dare to speak his mind, his _fears_. The fair haired man hid his face in the crooks of his arms, trying to make the burning pain of the tears welling inside of his eyes disappear. To make the redness in them heal over, to no longer be a living proof of his fears. To not let himself feel these emotions, he was scared of admitting what his thoughts where. He was scared—no terrified to hear Yusuf’s thoughts on the subject. Was the man he loved with all his might, going to hate him?

The movement of the bed shifting and sinking brought Nicolo out of his deep thoughts, making him raise his gaze, slightly, to meet the other man’s eyes. His light green meet the deep brown of the other.

”No, Nicolo… There _isn’t_ something wrong you.” The dark haired man breathed out, ”there has _never been something_ wrong with you, and there will never be.” Joseph added in a soft tone, his eyes shined with so much kindness that it could be brighter then the sun. The north African man laid a light touch on Nicolo’s shoulder, he flinched as a first reaction but then easing and relaxing more into the warm, comfortable touch of his loved one.

”I thought… _I thought_ it would be different this time…” Nicolo hesitated before sitting up more straight and looking even more into the deep brown beautiful eyes of Joseph. The tears was falling silently down his cheeks, he didn’t break his gaze with other while they crowded his sight. Nicky let the tears caress his cheek in silence, he didn’t even bother to brush them away as he knew there where more to come.

”I _will never_ do something _you do not want_ ,” Yusuf cradled his cheeks softly, he brushed away the tears when he saw that the Italian man wasn’t going to do it. Joseph did it so gently, like the fair haired man was a frail flower that had bloomed for the first time in the moon light.

”But Joseph-” Nicolo interrupted, his voice on the point of breakage when he spoke. He was swiftly hushed by a finger, pressed gently against his soft lips, and the eyes of his love.

”You are the _most amazing man_ I have ever met, you are this _force in my life_ that I can’t live without and I won’t live without you either.” Yusuf declared, leaning forward and resting his forehead against Nicky’s shoulder. Nicolo felt how tears from the dark haired man rolled down his arm and chest, staining the sheets with both of their tears.

”Yusuf…” Nicolo whispered, wrapping his arms around the neck of the dark haired man. He held the love of his life close enough to hear the beat of his pulse. ”Have you not ever, wanted to do what _lovers do between themselves_?” The fair haired man questioned, Nicolo felt how the weight of the brown eyed man’s head lifted from his shoulder.

“I want you, in _every shape_ of way I can have. _I do not care_ about what others do.” Yusuf breathed out, his eyes meeting the light green of Nicky. The leaves meeting the tree bark, connecting them into _one_. ”I want to be _near you_ , to _hear_ your heart beat, to _feel_ your pulse. To _know_ that you are _alive_. I want to feel your skin against mine, as we sleep peacefully under the stars, protected in each other’s arms. To be able to meet you eyes the first thing the morning, is the _greatest_ gift I could have wished for.” He continued, the tears started to welling up, again, in both of their eyes.

The profound declaration of love, that Joseph had spoken, left Nicolo completely speechless. His jaw hanged loose, while he gathered his thoughts. He shifted his eyes away from the north African man, as he tried to gather his thoughts. He had never thought that Yusuf would feel this way about him, that their love—their bond was more important then to do something sexual. Nicky could still feel the light, warm touch against his hand.

”I-I…” Nicolo tried to speak, but he had no idea of what to say, he felt that there wasn’t a word to describe what he felt inside for _him_. Nicky decided to lean forward and rest his forehead against Joseph’s.

”I _promise you_. That one day, we will find out what these feelings are called and it all will be okey, I promise…” Yusuf added, moving his hand up to fair haired man’s neck, he held him close. Their breaths becoming more and more in sync, by each breath. A shuddering gaps of air escaped the dark haired man’s lips. The tears finally slowing their pace, but they still glisten in both of the men. Nicolo nodded his head against the love of his life’s forehead, to the promise that he had made to him. A promise that they would live long enough to find out what these feelings are called.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I took one of favourite quotes from one of my favourite films, Detroit Evolution. Where the allo of the relationship confesses their ever dying love to the other. Yes I did tweak it a bit, but still it’s there :)


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